The Plaguebearers - Log Three

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, Kitty and Garrison work on getting the files and reviewing the footage from the bomb. They discover that the attack might have been a cover.



As his teammates disappeared down the shaft, Kane turned to the video records that he’d obtained, going over the quickly. He wasn’t going to get in Kitty’s way, especially with a monster like the Roxxon internal database. Instead, he focused on trying to get footage from the time of the ‘attack’. Unfortunately, the accessible records he had showed gaps in the coverage.

“Great. Looks like the bomb went off somewhere between 62 and 65 minutes ago, but look.” He punched up the screens. “I have no coverage in the labs here, here and here. Do they have an auto-blocker for their feeds or something?”

"Dunno," Kitty said. She frowned, then let her fingers travel across the keys. She stomped out the letters, biting her lip as she watched the screen scroll up. "How much time do I have here? This is a little bit more complex than kicking your ass on Candy Crush."

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with taking a week to hit level 5." He looked over the screen. "We've got some time, but at some point, SHIELD is going to come through here. Roxxon is a high-level security supplier."

She snorted. "Level 5, my ass."

Lowering her head, Kitty continued to type. A drop of sweat beaded on her forehead as she leaned forward, squinting at the screen. "Hang on--that." Stopping, she opened a file and pointed at the small window of grainy footage. "I think we got something."

"They have some kind of cut out for high security areas. Makes sense when you're trying to hide illegal research." Kane peered closer to the screen. "It's a little fuzzy. Can you clean up the grain? At least enough to get a clear shot of their faces?"

"This isn't CSI: Xavier's." Shaking her head, Kitty sighed. Nothing lost, nothing gained. Might as well give it the old college try. She zoomed in. As nearly as she could figure, the research had been conducted by two Sasquatches in lab coats. Or an educated Wookie. Her fingers flew across the keyboard again and the image began to change shape.

"Well," she paused as the pair came into focus. "That's interesting."

"Those do not look like the eco-terrorists Roxxon says planted the bomb." Kane said, as he peered closer. One was younger, wearing glasses, but it was the other one that interested him. "I have seen that face before... can you get me a screen cap of this shot? I want to send it over to Organized Crime. I swear, this guy is a player of some kind."

"Mmm... okay." She glanced up at Garrison while she worked. "Do you know the other guy? Mr. Glasses?"

"Nah. But I can get the lab to run them both through the database. See if I get any hits." He shook his head. "I can tell you this. These guys aren't eco-terrorists. If that's the case, the bomb was either a distraction or a way to cover their tracks."

"Job for hire then?" Kitty asked. "Or do you think there was some other motive?"

"If that is who I think it is, it's a job for hire." Kane took the incoming file from her and pushed it over to his contact. "While we wait, can you get into any of the treatment documentation?"

"Mmhm. Who do you think it is?" She continued to type as she spoke but glanced over her shoulder at the man. Someone from the past? Or just a name he's heard before?

"Mutant. Muscle for hire with the Maggia and the Mafia. Called himself... The Enforcer. I mean, whoooo." He made mocking gestures with his hands. "He's no joke, despite the stupid name. He took a full magazine from an Uzi in the gut last year and shrugged it off."

"Uh, when it comes to stupid names, I'm not one to talk, remember?" Kitty said. She turned, looking at Kane. "The documentation's up...well, at least one file. Anyhow, the Enforcer. You got personal experience with him?"

"No. I'm not part of RICO cases normally. But the mutant angle has come across my desk." His phone pinged. "Yup, Enforcer. This was industrial espionage, not terrorism."

"Well, that's unexpected." Kitty turned back to the computer. "So how does that change the plan, Kane?"

"It means they were here to retrieve the mutant that was here. So who wants an uncontrollable genetically modified death engine at their disposal... the options are particularly unpleasant."

"And numerous." She grimaced. Concentrating, she looked at the clock. "Time's wasting. What else do we need?" She didn't relish the thought of waiting for a death engine even if the odds of him coming up behind them were infinitesimal.

"See if you can grab the files on the treatment. Then we'll join Logan. Maybe the brains back at the mansion can figure out a better program of treatment."

"Yeah." Her fingers flew across the keys. Kitty wondered what Jean would think about the files as she plugged her flash drive into the computer and began the download. These people who the treatment is given to...do they do this willingly? And how willing can a person be for this? What is it like to actually want to be a mutant?She tried to keep her thoughts from her face as she handed the drive over to Kane, saying nothing.

"Thanks. We should get down there. Back up the others." Kane said. "No idea what they could have found, eh?"